The Tapping at 2:17 AM

The Elf on the Shelf, Episode 5: The Silent Houses.

It wasn't just our house. That's when it became terrifying, because once fear

becomes normal, it becomes a system. I noticed it first in the

neighborhood. No music through windows, no yelling, no laughter.

Kids didn't ride bikes in circles anymore. They walked in straight

lines, like they were practicing being watched. Every house had an elf,

and every elf was placed facing outward, toward the street. Not guarding the

children, guarding the block. One afternoon, I saw my neighbor,